Open hearth furnace port construction



Sept. 12, 1933.

c. E. ROSE ET AL 1,926,351

OPEN HEARTH FURNACE PORT CONSTRUCTION Filed March 16, 1933 2 V T E192 :1, 1 i2 30 A k: Z5 .20: lag l \l 31 Q '20 "511i" o J 22 Evenior W ELI 'SQ W QL'LZO Ji ymgawa Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED, STATES,

OPEN H CONSTRUCTION eph" H. Dillon, Chicago,

:GeorgeE. Rose and Jos EARTH FURNACE PORT H Application March 16, 1933. Serial No. 661,001" a 10 7 Claims. (01. 263-15) 1 This invention relates i to an open hearth furnace construction. More particularly'it relates to sealing means for a movable port as used in open hearth furnaces. I V

As is well known in the art, open hearth and similar metallurgical furnaces are double ended and are periodically reversed in their operation. Each end'of the furnace thus serves alternately to introduce air and fuel and to carry off the products of combustion. The products of combustion are much higher in temperature than the incoming air and fuel and greatly exceed the air and fuel in volume. v

In order to provide a construction in which suiiicient velocity is given the incoming air and fuel and in which an outlet for the outgoing products of combustion is provided. which will not be destroyed by high velocities and temperatures, movable restricting means have been provided, associated with the ends of the furnace. It is in a furnace with a movable hood or port for this purpose, as shown'in the U. S. Patent No. 1,769,367, July 1, 1930, that the present invention is tobe utilized; Due to the necessity for using brick work it is necessary to provide a relatively large clearance space be? tween the movable port and the opening in the end wall of the furnace through which it is moved. Such a space permits the escape of gases from the furnace which in anycondition is undesirable and under certain conditions is very destructive to the furnace. p

The principal object of the present invention is to provide sealing means for the movable port.

A more specific object is to provide sealing means simultaneously operable with the port moving means for sealing'the port ineither of its extreme positions. a

In the drawing we have illustrated an embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentarylongitudinal section, showing one port end of an open hearth furnace with the invention applied thereto. The port is shown withinthe furnace in full lines, and withdrawn therefrom in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is an end elevation partly in section, as shown by'the line 2-2 of Figure'l; and

Figure 3 is a portion of the same section shown in Figure 1, with the movable port in an intermediate position. I i Referring to the drawing, a portion 6 of the roof of the furnace is shown, and also a portion 7 which'forms the lowerpart of the furnace and the hearth of. the melting chamber. ,A portion of an end wall 8 is also shown and the upper end of'a gas uptake 9 can be seen in Figure 1. As all of this construction is conventional, as shown in the patent above referred to, only such portions of the construction have is formed as a hollow plate for water cooling.

It extends rearwardlyfrom the end wall of the furnace a distance beyond the extreme outward position of the movableport 13 and inwardly beyond the extreme inner end position of said port. An opening 14 is formed in the plate 12 in registration with the uptake 9. The forward endof the port is slightly restricted to form means for directing the gases into the furnace.

It will be noted that there is a considerable clearance space between the outside wall of the port 13 and the arched member 11 which forms a liner for the'opening'lo in the end wall of the furnace. This clearance space is necessary as structures of this type cannot be builtiwithin small dimensions and'as the distortion due to the high temperatur'es is apt to cause relative changes in the dimensionsof the different structures.

Outside the end wall of the furnace a supporting structure 15 is provided. .Said' structure, as

illustrated, is formed of vertical beams which may be supported and braced by any suitable means." A horizontal transverse rock shaft 16 is supported in bearings 17 mounted on the beams of the supporting structure. A lever 18. is rigidly. secured to the rock shaft 16;

Said

lever may be operated by anyproperly controlled furnace.

' ing levers 24 are pivoted intermediate their ends. At the forward ends of said levers extensions 25 are adjustably secured. Said extensions project into a recess 26 formed in the end wall of the of saidextensions to a sealing member 28. Said sealing member is, arouate in form and is fitted to the outside of the port 13, terminating adja- The cams 30 are particularly shaped to obtain a desired control, of the position of the sealing member 23.' As shown in Figure 1, the port 13 is in its extreme operative position within the furnace andjthe sealing member 23 is. in the clearance covering position. It will be noted that the cam rollers 29 are at one side of the cams 30. At the initial movementof the rock V shaft 16 to move the port into its extremeoute ward-position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, thelifting levers 24 aregiven an appreciable angular movement during a very slight angular movement of the rock shaft '16. This is due to the rapidly: increasing radius of the cam surface, which is evident from an inspec tion of Figure l. 1 During this initial movement the sealing member28 is lifted out of contact with the movable port, whereby it will not be engaged or injured in any may by the rough brick surface of the port. 7

Substantially all of the central portion of each of the earns 30 is of a uniform radius with respect to the axis of the shaft 16; whereby no movement of the sealing member is" brought about during the intermediate movement of the port, said sealing member being held in a free non-engaging position. Durin'g the final movement of the port, as it approaches its eigtreme outward position, the cam followers 29 run over the edge of the cams '30 and lower the sealing member 28 into contacting position with the port. The lifting levers 24 and theisealing member are again in their initial position. This feature of the'construction iscIearly shown by the dotted line position inFigure 1. Figure 3 shows .the position of the sealing member during the movement of the port. I By providing therapid lift'at the beginning of the port and the rapid lowering at the end of the movement, the sealing member 28 is not injured or dragged from sealing position by movement of the portlafter engagement of thesealing member therewith or before the. sealing member is lifted.

The operation of. the improved portconstruction and the sealing means therefor, has been explained in connection with the description of the elements making 'up the construction.

It is to be understood that applicantshave shown only a preferred construction and that they claim as their invention all modifications fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an open'hearth furnace having an opens.

ing formed in a wall thereof and a movable port slidable through said opening in cleara'ncerelation withrespect thereto, means for moving Flexible cables 27 connect the ends said port into a position within the furnace and into a position withdrawn from the furnace, a

sealing membershapedto fit around the port and to engage the wall therearound for sealing the clearance space between the port and the opening formed in the wall, and means for lifting said member out of contact with the port during movement of the port.

2. In an open hearth furnace having an opening formed in a wall thereof and a movable port slidable through said opening in clearance relationj with respect thereto, means for moving said port into a position within the furnace and into a position withdrawn from the furnace,

"a sealing member shaped to fit around the port and to engage the wall therearound for sealing the clearance space between the port and the opening formed in the wall, and means for lifting said member out of contact with the port during movement of the port, the means for moving the sealing member being interconnected with the means for moving the port. 3. In an open hearth furnace having an opening formed in a..w'all thereof and a movable 'portslidable through said opening in clearance relation withrespect thereto, means for moving said port .into a'position within the furnaceand into a position withdrawn from the furnace, a

sealing member shaped to fit'around the-port and to engage the wall'therearound for sealing the clearance space between the port and the opening formed in the wall, and means for" lifting said member out of contact with the port during movement of the port, the means for... moving the sealing member being interconnected with the means for moving the port and operable to hold the sealing member out of contact with the port during the entire range of movement .of the port and to seat said member against the port and the furnace wall in the two extreme positions of the port with respect to the wall of the furnace.

4. In an open hearth furnace having anopening formed in a wall thereof and a movable port slidable through said opening in clearance relation with respect thereto, means for moving said port into a position within the furnace and into a position withdrawn from'the furnace, a

sealing member shaped to fit around the port for sealing the clearance space between the port and the opening formed in the wall, means for lifting said memberout of contact with the'port du'ring'movement of the port,- and connecting means between the port movingrneans and said lifting 'means operable to actuate the lifting means upon initial movement of" the port from either of its positions.

' 5. In any open hearth furnace having an opening formed in a wall thereofand a movable port slidable through said opening in clearancerelation 'with respect thereto, means for moving said portinto a position within the furnaceand into a position withdrawn from the furnace, a

sealing member shaped to fit around the port for sealing the clearance space between the port and the opening formed in the wall, means for lifting said member out of contact withthe port during movement of the port, and connecting means between the port moving means and. saidlifting means operable to actuate the lifting means to lower the sealing member into sealing position at the end of a movement of the port intoeither of its positions. p

6. An open hearth furnace having an end well formed with an opening therethrough and a movable port mounted for reciprocation in said opening with clearance relation with respect to, the end wall and in combination therewith, a

means on the lifting means positioned to engage the cam whereby the position of the sealing member is determined by movement of the port actuating arm.

'7. An open hearth furnace having an end wall formed with an opening therethrough and a movable port mounted for reciprocation in said opening with clearance relation with respect to the end wall and in combination therewith, a supporting structure adjacent the furnace, means for reoiproacting the port mounted on said structure, a cam actuated by said means, a sealing member positioned to close the clearance space between the port and the opening" in the end wall, a lifting lever pivoted on the frame structure, means for connecting one end of said lifting lever to the sealing member, and cam following means at the other end .of the lifting lever positioned to engage the cam on the actuating lever whereby the position of the sealing member is determined by movement of the port actuating arm.

8. An open hearth furnace having an end wall formed with an opening therethrough and a movable port mounted for reciprocation in said opening with clearance relation with respect to the end wall and in combination therewith, 'a supporting structure adjacent the furnace, a horizontal shaft mounted on said supporting structure, an actuating arm rigidly connected to said shaft, an actuating link connecting said shaft and the movable port, a cam mounted on said arm, a sealing member positioned to close the clearance space between the port and the opening in the end wall, lifting means mounted on the frame structure, means for connecting said means to the sealing member, and 0am following means on the lifting means positioned to engage the cam whereby the position of the sealing member is determined by movement of the port actuating arm.

9. An open hearth furnace having an end wall formed with an opening therethrough and a movableport mounted for reciprocation in said opening with clearance relation with respect to the end wall and in combination therewith, a supporting-structure adjacent the furnace, a horizontal shaft mounted on said supporting structure, an actuating arm rigidly connected to said shaft, an actuating link connecting said shaft and the movable 'port, a

cam mounted on said arm, a sealing member positioned to close the clearance space between the port'and the opening in the end wall, a lifting lever pivoted on the frame structure, means for connecting one end of said lifting lever to the sealing member, and cam following means at the other end of the lifting lever positioned to engage the cam on the actuating lever whereby the position of the sealing member is determined by movement of the port actuating arm. 7 I

10. An open hearth furnace having an end wall formed with an opening therethrough and a movable port mounted for reciprocation in said opening with clearance relation with respect to the end wall and in combination therewith, a supporting structure adjacent'the furnace,a horizontal shaft mounted on said supporting structure, an actuating arm rigidly connected to said shaft,;an actuating link connecting said shaft and the movable port, a cam mounted on said arm, a sealing memberpositioned to close the clearance space between the port and the opening in the end wall, a lifting V lever pivoted on the frame structure, means for connectingv one end of said lifting lever to the sealingrmember, and cam following means 'at the other end of the lifting lever positioned to engage the cam on'the actuating lever whereby the position of the sealing member is determined by movement of the port actuating arm, said cam being provided with a center portion of an angular. distance substantially equal to the angular distance of travel of the actuating arm formed with an equal radius about the pivot point of the actuating arm,

and portions at each end of said center portion having a rapidly decreasing radius whereby the sealing member is lifted from contacting position with the port during the initial movement thereof and isseated in contact with the port during the final movement thereof'at the end of the change of position.

I GEORGE nRosn.

[JOSEPH H. DILLON. 

